Cipher Industries
by calm.before.storm
Summary: AU. Mabel and Dipper Pines have been saving up for years to go to college in the 'Big City', and Mabel is thrilled when she finally gets the chance. Her old boyfriend Gideon isn't so pleased that she left him behind so easily, and makes a deadly deal: full summary inside. One-sided Mabelion, MaBill, some Wendipper, future Dipcifica.
1. Summary

Mabel Pines and her twin brother have been saving up for years for a chance to get to travel to the "Big City" for college— her dream job as a sweets shop owner, and his as a scientific researcher— and is thrilled once she finally, at age 21, gets the chance. Her old boyfriend, Gideon, isn't too pleased how quickly and willingly she left him behind, though, as she soon finds a new beau in the city— a very famous, very young, and very, very rich entrepreneur. Gideon makes a deadly deal, and Dipper has to figure out the whole plan and convince his sister of the problems at hand and corruption of her love before it's too late.

_**{A/N: This story is not nearly as "High School AU" cliché as it sounds.}**_


	2. Prologue

It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly in the blue, blue sky, birds sang their tunes, butterflies flew around at the edge of the forest... Too bad it was ruined for the Pines siblings by the buzzing of flies, scorching heat of the summer, and the dirty old hillbilly yelling nonsense in the background.

"Why are we looking through the dump again?" Dipper whined, disgusted at the situation.

"Now, _Dipper_, don't be like that. Grunkle Stan said that if we found anything in here that might pass off as good merchandise, he'd pay us extra!" His sister, Mabel, was always one to look on the bright side of things.

"Pfft, Stan paying us extra. That'll be the day." Dipper rolled his eyes, kicking a rusty tin can.

"_Dipper_!" Mabel gasped. "Are you insinuating that our dearest Great Uncle Stan would lie to us?"

He turned to face her with a raised eyebrow.

"Er... _Moving on._.." She traveled over to a new pile of junk. The nearly-21-year-old siblings— twins, to be exact— rummaged around a bit more, continuously unsuccessful in their search. As they motioned to return indoors, Dipper quite literally stumbled upon something.

"_OW_!" He faceplanted into the mud, his sister giggling but helping him up. "What was that?" Rubbing his head, he turned back to where he'd tripped. The corner of an object half-buried in the dirt peeked out. He bent down, scooped it up, and dusted it off.

"...Mabel, look at this!" Staring at the object with wonder, he held out his arm and tugged on his sister—_ who had gone to poke at a random shiny object with a stick_—'s sleeve.

"What is it, bro-bro?"

"A laptop!" He grinned, holding it up high in display. "And practically pristine!"

"..._Pristine_? Dipper, I know you haven't seen a computer in a while, but that doesn't look exactly _pristine_ to m—"

"Wow!" He laughed, amazed, and completely ignoring his sister. "I'll bet Soos could fix the old thing up! Mabel, can you _imagine_ what kind of secrets could be hidden on a laptop abandoned in the dump?!"

"_Dipper_..." Mabel rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Why does everything have to be a conspiracy with you?"

"_But_— think about it, Mabel. In a town this small with no electronics at all except for the phone in the local diner, who in their right mind would ditch a _computer_?! Plus, at the speed that news travels in this town, wouldn't we have heard of it?"

"It probably doesn't even work anymore. I mean, _look_ at it. It's a pile of junk! Besides, there's no way it could connect to the Cybernet." Mabel mused.

"_We'll see about that_."

—o—

"Here you go, dudes. Fixed it up for 'ya!" Soos declared proudly, placing the laptop in Dipper's hands.

"Alright, Soos! Haha!" He beamed, and fist-bumped the man-child. "Mabel, come over here!" He waved his arm, gesturing for her to join him.

Dipper opened the display, and flipped the switch from the "O" mark to the "I". It was patched with a band-aid and barely held together in several other places with duck-tape. Over the top was a blue band, with white letters written in the words "PROPERTY OF". Another letter, seemingly an initial, was written after it, but it was too scratched up to be legible. After the switching of the on/off a few more times, it sputtered a bit, before roaring to life. In yellow font, it read "SYSTEM STARTUP...", blinking repeatedly. The progress bar filled all the way, and various symbols, grids, and shapes cluttered the screen.

"...Is it _broken_?" Mabel wondered, tapping the monitor a couple times.

"Wait!" Her brother ordered, smacking away her hand.

The computer hissed a little bit and heated up, the golden symbols continually scrolling until it realized what it wanted to do. They suddenly entered a formation and turned around with abstract fireworks, until it came to a stop with a single triangle in the middle and the word "WELCOME" at the top.

"_Woah_..." The twins murmured in unison. They turned to each other and gaped ecstatically. _They had a laptop!_

But their happiness was interrupted by a loud buzzing sound. "/UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS FORBIDDEN/" was written in bold, red font. "ENTER PASSWORD" appeared in its place, with an eight-character code required.

"Oh, come _on_!" The two once again spoke in sync.

"Ugh, of course. A password!" Dipper groaned.

"Pfft, not to worry. Little do you know that I happen to be a code-cracking _expert_!" His sister declared.

"Haha, very funny." He frowned, unimpressed.

"Oh brother of little faith, ye shall see." Mabel entwined her fingers and pushed them outwards, causing an ear-shattering "_CrrrrrraaaAAACK_", and tentatively placed her fingers on the keyboard. She tapped on seven different keys with eight clicks, followed by the "enter" key. "..._PASSWORD ACCEPTED_."

Dipper blinked and rubbed his eyes, staring at the screen. "Wait, _what_?"

"See, I toldya so." She gestured to a small area on the side of the display. Inside it, there was a tiny box with the words "PASSWORD=PASSWORD".


	3. Chapter 1 — The Best Brother Ever

"_DIPPER-DIPPER-DIPPER-DIPPER-DIPPER!_" Mabel's fifteen-exclamation-mark-worthy screams interrupted the calm of the mid-afternoon of their 21st birthday with her dashing into the living room, tripping over the carpet, and stumbling to her brother, who sat at a wooden desk with his computer, surfing the (quite laggy) Cybernet.

"_Yes_, Mabel?" He turned, letting her snatch his hand and the couch behind him to gain her balance and catch her breath.

"_L-look... What I got... In the mail.._." She huffed, holding up a simple white envelope.

"Who's it from?" Dipper asked, plucking it from her palms to read the return address. "New York Women's University of the Arts... Mabel, that's '_your school_', right?" In the years the two had been saving and planning for their trips out east, they had studied and picked where they would go; Dipper, to the United Territories' Capitol University for the Well-Taught Scientific Mind, and Mabel to the NYWUA, each referring to their choices as 'their school'.

She beamed, snatching it from his hands and ripping it open. "You bet!"

"Uhh... Mabel, don't get your hopes up." Dipper peeked over her shoulder in curiosity with a worried look on his face. "There could always be bad news."

"Too late! Hopes are way, _way_ up!" Mabel tossed the torn-to-shreds envelope aside. " 'Dear Mabel Pines.' _So far so goood!_ 'We are happy to inform you—' _So far so goood!_ '—that you have been invited into a—' _So far so_—"

"Mabel, would you quit saying that and just read the darn letter?" Dipper was always one to censor any foul language around his sister, no matter how much she insisted that she didn't mind.

"_Okay_." She deadpanned, but continued. " 'Dear Mabel Pines. We are happy to inform you that you have been invited into a once-in-a-lifetime chance program at the New York Women's University of the Arts as a _special_ birthday gift'!" She beamed and pulled on her brother's shirtsleeve. "Did you _hear_ that? Once-in-a-lifetime means _super rare_!"

"Yeah, I did, I was there; and yes, I know what once-in-a-lifetime means."

" 'We have recognized your potential, and therefore chose you, along with a select few, out of many others for this offer. You will be provided with a dorm which you will share with two other girls, and a side job of your choice that relates to your studying in the city to help pay for your keep.' _Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygoooooossshhh_!" She squealed.

Her brother chuckled, flicking her playfully. "Keep reading!"

"_Ooohkay_." She repeated, calming her breaths once more. " 'If you are to accept this position, we request that you send your acceptance letter by'..." She squinted, looking closer, wishing to not view what she had at first glance. "Eight/Ten/Twenty— _wait_— SEVENTY-_TWO_?! But that's _THIS YEAR_!"

Mabel looked like she was about to cry as she sunk to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees. She couldn't afford to go this year. Or the next. Or the next. It would take at least another five years of studying, saving, and working in her Great Uncle Stan's general-store-slash-useless-trinket-place, the Mystery Shack, before she could even _try_ at applying. Sure, the reason Dipper had already been accepted into his college and was planning on going that year instead of her was because he was convinced that in his research, once he had a full-time job especially, he would immediately make a discovery that would help pay off the rest of Mabel's education, lodging and travel needs, but that in itself would take four years, maybe three if he studied hard. Without the extra worker back at home pooling his profits with her own, the amount that she could earn per year would be cut in half, and her workload would be doubled.

"Well... I guess I can trash that, then..." She sighed, starting to crumple the paper. The day had already been sad enough because of her brother's soon-scheduled leave. She'd spent all the extra time with him she could the past few days; she wouldn't see him for at least another four years in person, probably more; and if he decided to take his laptop along with the more-updated one he'd have to get for college, they wouldn't even be able to see each other over video chat. Now, on top of that... she bit her lip to stop the tears from coming. Not in front of her brother; she'd be strong for him. She didn't want to make him feel bad...

"Wait! Don't squash it; they won't have proof that you're the real deal when you arrive."

"What?" Mabel looked up at her brother in depressed confusion, sniffling.

"I said not to rip the paper up and that you're gonna need to pack your things, 'cuz you're leaving for the Big City in a few days." He answered with a smile of mixed emotions, ruffling his sister's hair.

"B-but... You already got accepted in. If you back out now, it'll put a black mark on your record, and they might not—"

"That's fine; I'll just find another school if they do. It would do the same for you, and there are less schools as perfect for your needs as there are for mine. Besides, they might not ditch me for that, especially since my sister will be the most famous 'baker and sweets-and-treats-maker' in the country! I mean, think of all the extra amazing snacks they could get—" Dipper stopped abruptly as his sister had leaped up and pulled him into a bearhug.

"—with you as my sister. And if they don't, then that's their problem, because they're just a bunch of... uh..."

"_Butt-faces_!"

"Er; yeah. 'Butt-faces'!"

"Is there no convincing you otherwise?" Once a Pines had made up their mind, _boy_ were they stubborn.

"I'd rather jump off a bridge."

"You're the best brother _EVER_!" She shrieked as she pushed out of the embrace, still gripping his shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. "Thanks, bro-bro."

"Don't mention it," he waved his arm airily. "Now go and pack up already!"

"Already on my way!" Mabel bounded out of the room, giggling with giddy joy.

* * *

**_{A/N: Chapter one, cleared! See if you can guess the foreshadowing statement. Hint: It's not "I'd rather jump off a bridge".}_**


	4. Chapter 2 — The Big City

**_{A/N: I FINALLY FINISHED THE CHAPTER. For anyone who will read any longer stories from me_****_—_****_ for example, Cipher Industries_****_—_****_ just because I take leagues to update doesn't mean I'm giving up on the story. If I am, I will post an extra chapter informing so, and/or delete the story. The best you can do for knowing about updates is following the story. A note for the chapter: I used miles instead of kilometers and inches instead of centimeters because this story takes place in America and it's an American show. Also, I would have updated earlier, but_****_— OH, LOOK! THERE GOES SOME MORE REFERENCES AND FORESHADOWING! IF YOU HURRY, MAYBE YOU CAN CATCH THEM!}_**

* * *

Dipper found himself avoiding Mabel's gaze, eyeballing the ground as he stepped forwards to hug her. He wasn't necessarily upset that she was going _because_ he wasn't, but… He _was_ upset that she was going, while he… _wasn't_.

Mabel silently understood her brother's emotions as she pulled away from his arms and grabbed the sides of his face, squishing forwards his cheeks and causing his lips to purse.

"I love you, Dipper. I'll miss you…" She shook his head around, hoping to lighten the scene. "Make sure to video message me _every single day_, you hear me?" She forced his head to nod.

He laughed, removing himself from her iron grip. "As hard as it is to take you seriously; I'd never have it any other way."

To the side, their Great Uncle Stan let out a bitter huff. "It's unnatural, how well you two get along."

Mabel skipped over to the man, throwing her arms around him. "Don't worry, Grunkle Stan. No matter how close or far away we are, we'll always make sure to drive each other _CRAZY_!" She summoned a grin, attempting to ignore the not-so-well-hidden sniffles and eye-rubbing.

"Er— uh— be safe out there, 'kay, kid? D-don't do drugs, 'er drink alcohol too early, or… or have too much fun without us."

"I _promise_ to not get hurt or anything, Grunk."

"O-okay. Good!" He ventured to pull off as tough, but failed masterfully.

Mabel looked to the next couple in the queue for hugs. "Wendy, Soos."

Soos' nose was a crimson red. "_B-be cool_, _dude_!" He crushed her ribs with his 'big, fat arms', and she felt Wendy's thin ones around her, too.

"I'll seeya 'round, right, Mabel? Come back n' visit, like, all the time."

"Will do. Oh, and Wendy? Make sure to hang out with my bro-bro just as much as before, and then some! For me," she winked, leading to the pink in Dipper's cheeks.

The last in the procession nearly stole her from her friends' embrace. "Oh, Mabel, mah sugah dumplin', please don't go!"

"I'm sorry, Gideon, really, but I _have_ to! For one, it's, like, the best offer _ever_, and two, it'd be unfair to Dipper if I backed out now. Then we'd both miss out for at _least_ a whole 'nother year! You wouldn't want _that_, would you?"

He seemed to growl something about letting her brother go anyways, but eyed her with a pleading expression. "If Ah cahn't convince ya', then…"

She shook her head sadly.

"Don't let y'all be lookin' at any other boys, ya' hear? A-and not the other way 'round, neither, 'er I'll hafta' show 'em a piece a' my mind!"

Mabel fidgeted nervously. That was one thing she _couldn't_ promise. Gideon was great, sure, but she found her feelings moving on… but was afraid to hurt his. The Big City was the perfect place to meet new guys, _and_ the perfect way to let Gideon down easy. Or maybe it was just an excuse to give her more time to figure out what to tell him. Or both.

Luckily, Wendy noticed her predicament and came to her rescue. "Oh, well it looks like the bus is here."

Truth be told, the lone bus that ever entered the tiny town of Gravity Falls— the _Speedy Beaver_— hissed and screeched to a stop where they waited. Mabel took her bags from Soos and mounted the first step to her new path of life. She handed the appropriate wad of bills to the clearly uninterested driver, ordering proudly, "I'd like to go to the nearest train station in the wondrous California Territories!"

The driver stared at her blankly. The girl returned his gaze, confused. Gaining no information from him, she glanced down at herself. She wore a green sweater with a miniature plane decal, a yellow skirt and a matching headband. Nothing unusual there!

"It's a pre-routed bus, ma'am."

"…_What_?"

He ignored her and shrugged, happy to have some sort of variety in his otherwise routined, uneventful life, and took the cash.

Mabel stole one last view of her family and friends as the doors shut. "Bye!" She waved enthusiastically. "Bye! Bye!" She obnoxiously repeated the same line until they were far from sight and her throat began to ache. The driver forced her to sit, so she plopped down in the mid-back of the bus, choosing a window seat. She cheerfully tapped her feet back and forth, excited for the adventure ahead. Slowly, it dawned on her how empty her surroundings were. She was the only passenger, and probably had been the only passenger on this route to Gravity Falls for nine years…

Mabel shuddered at the memory, changing her thoughts' topic with speed.

It was then that the boredom set in. She'd be alone on this bus for eight hours, until reaching the train to take her to Las Vegas for another ten hours, and from there to that... Oh, what _did_ they call it? Speed-booster? Fast-train? Sub-way? Ah, forget it. It would bring her to the super-fast-tramway-thing, which would only take eight and a half hours to reach the fabled New York City, in comparison to the previous, shorter lengths with almost equal times. That was twenty-six-and-a-half hours of travel _alone_!

She sighed, wishing for company. The view outside was nothing but trees, trees, trees, with a bit of Oregon rain as a painful yet hopeful reminder that summer was over. Her elbow on the window sill and chin resting in her hand, she hummed to herself quietly, wondering if the bus driver was as lonely as she.

"Mr. Bus Driver?" She asked aloud.

A gravely snarl. "What?"

"Do you mind if I sing? Because this is boring. Or we could just talk. Or we could both sing! I could talk to myself, but that would be pretty dull, and if I did it aloud, I would sound _kinda_ _coo-coo_..."

Growling. "Sure, whatever."

"Thank you!" She chirped happily. Now, this trip wouldn't be _so_ horrible.

Following over a full hour of belting every tune that came to mind, the girl was forced to rest her windpipe once again as it was too sore for her to continue. It was two-thirty in the afternoon, and she'd have to be awake from about nine-thirty until eleven-twenty to get on the train. Then, if her math was right and there were no delays, she would finish her travel at six in the afternoon of the next day. A-K-A, in twenty-eight hours. _Fun_! At least she'd get plenty of sleep if she rested through the whole train ride. Well— _a yawn fought its way out as her head nodded down closer to the glass_— she'd have time to sleep later, and she _did_ want catch some glimpses of forest life. But, right now it really was nothing but 'trees, trees, trees', and there _was_ that nagging feeling insisting that maybe she should just shut her eyes for a few minutes...

—o—

_BUMP!_

Mabel awoke with a start as the bus jolted and traveled airborne momentarily. She squeaked and clawed at her watch. Eight-forty-seven. She exhaled deeply, realizing she hadn't slept too long. Perfect timing, actually.

But all it took was a noticing of the direction pointing on the travel-sized compass attached to her suitcase to set her off.

"MR. BUS DRIVER!" She called, frantically. "DID I SLEEP THROUGH MY STOP?! WHY ARE WE HEADING NORTH?!"

"Relax," the driver retorted. "There was a blocked road, so we're taking a loop-around. You'll be thirty minutes late, tops."

_Thirty minutes?_ That was bad. _Very_ bad. Thirty minutes meant she'd only have a one-hour-twenty-minute interval! What if she got lost, or hurt, or spent too much time eating? She'd miss her train, and—

_BUMP!_

The next lurch brought her out of her internal hysteria. She was going to be _fine_; she had a full hour and an almost-half! Besides, with her _laser focus_, there was literally _nothing_ that could distract her from her mission.

—o—

She was awoken by the attendant passing by with a cart of snacks. Stretching, Mabel absentmindedly peered about the car of the super-fast-tramway-thing. The red-rimmed clock at the head of the car read eight-fifty-five, _ticking_ and _tocking_ decisively against the metallic silver wall. The differing time zones were confusing her, but she decided to ignore that for the moment. The scarlet plush carpet welcomed Mabel's bare toes (she had removed her flats only after making super-duper-_positive_-sure that no-one could see her feet) as she wriggled them atop it, giggling. The seats were a cherry-toned leather, and the tables crafted of the same metal as the walls. The windows were plated with—

_HOLY BEAR-O THE WINDOWS!_

The view of a lifetime lay before her eyes. Boy, was she glad she no longer had a fear of heights! Otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to enjoy the magnificent sight ahead of her. At least a hundred miles lay between the suspended train rails and the emerald grass below. If she pressed her face close enough to the side of the car, she could barely make out the city to which they advanced. Now, she was sure that she was loosing it. Those buildings were insanely massive and unimaginably high, stretching far beyond her eyes' reach. She'd heard rumors of the new heights builders could achieve nowadays, but _this_ was _impossible_!

"_Attention all passengers_," an automated voice echoed down the box and interrupted her awe, "_Arrival in five minutes. Please collect your hands-on baggage and make your way towards the doors at the stop of the vehicle_."

Mabel squealed and tapped her cheeks with her fingertips. "This is it, this is it! We're almost here!" She excitedly grabbed the handles of her luggage, and slipped her feet back into her flats. "Woo-hoo-hoo!" She suppressed her longing to dance and stood, inching to the middle of the car so she could kick out her legs. She had completed one of the most dreadfully uneventful eight-hour periods of her life, now arriving to her new city of residence for the next at least four years.

"_The vehicle has come to a complete stop. You may now safely exit. Thank you for letting us provide you with a comfortable, swift, and affordable travel experience. Please enjoy your stay in the Capitol of the United Territories_."

As the rest of the travelers bustled on, she stumbled from the tram, gaping at the open, alien world ahead of her. Buildings curled from below the platform she'd been brought to and towered far above, not exiting her view until many were obscured by clouds. Thousands of people shuffled through the crowd they formed, flowing in masses to various elevators, staircases, and vehicles. A few bumped into her, but kept going, seemingly oblivious to her existence. Not far from the spot where she stood, unable to budge out of pure shock, a slightly raised, circular stage held a handful of people in classy attire with clipboards and megaphones. The entire area was roaring with life and noise, but the sounds of one— seemingly from one of the figures atop the stage— rose above the others.

"Mabel Pines? I'm waiting for a Mabel Pines. If you are Mabel Pines, please come here."

Her frozen form was freed suddenly as she recognized her name, and she scurried to the woman calling for her.

She would've guessed the woman to be in her mid-thirties, and almost took the appearance of a librarian with her pencil skirt, strawberry, pulled-back hair, black glasses and a clipboard that was apparently much more interesting than Mabel.

"Uh, hi. I'm Mabel Pines," she had to speak at a pitch louder than she was accustomed with to be heard, making her feel rather uncomfortable.

"Yes, yes, right, good. Follow me, dear," the _enthralled_ woman trilled, practically snatching her by the wrist and leading her to the lift. She chattered quickly, and Mabel had to listen closely to understand her. "I'll be taking you to your apartment in which you'll stay for the rest of the year. You'll be living with two other girls, who've both already moved in. The building you'll be housed in, six-eighteen, includes floors with shopping, food, hotels, and classes. There's also the business floors, but most of them are highly off-limits, as the Boss does _not_ enjoy uninvited guests. Those floors are two through one thousand, one hundred and one. Are you writing this down, dear?"

"I— uh— what?" Still taking in the new surroundings, as she had been violently whisked down to the ground level of the city and dragged across half of the block, she had trouble responding.

"Oh, that's fine, dear, I'll just give you a copy of my notes. 'Always keep two of everything'; that's what the Boss says. Anyway, the girls in your quarters have already been briefed, so they can answer any questions you might have. Your dorm comes with a three-bed bedroom, bathroom, living area and kitchen, with a _fantastic_ view of the clouds, all fully furnished. There's a flatscreen television, desktop computer and built-in phone for any entertainment, researching, emergency or communicational needs. It's on level two thousand, five hundred and fifty five, the top level, and— _lucky_ _you!_— on the same floor as the President's daughter, who's starting her first year, too! Now, isn't that just _peachy_?"

Mabel wondered how the woman could walk at such a speedy pace with five-inch high heels.

"Well, here's your building. Oh! I almost forgot. Room fifteen. Remember, dear, fifteen, two-thousand-five-hundred-fifty-five, six-eighteen. Off you go, and enjoy your stay in the Capitol of the United Territories!" The woman might as well have kicked her into the premises. The glass doors swung back and forth behind her, her flats click-clacking up against the white marble floor. The enormous room was entirely bare, save the elevators lining the back wall, and a single receptionist asleep at a small wooden desk in the center.

She realized the woman had forgotten to hand her the second set of notes. Oh, well. Her laser focus and perfect memory would aid her! Now, what were the numbers again? Six-nineteen, two-thousand... twenty... something... The room was fifteen, that she could recall for sure.

"Hello, sir?" Mabel formed her most winning smile and tapped on the desk.

The man behind it snorted, mid-snore, and widened his eyes. " 'NO SLEEPING ON THE JOB'!" He cried, scrambling to return to the monitors on the table.

"Uh... sir?"

He, shaking ever so slightly, glanced up from his work, before noticing her and relaxing. "Oh, thank heavens," he sighed. "For a second, I thought you were the Boss."

"Nope, just me, Mabel, here to brighten your day!" She fished through her skirt pocket, yanked out her sticker book, and slapped a decal on the back of his computer. It contained a cartoon sun with the caption, 'Shine bright today'. "Between you and me..." She leaned in closer to him. "This boss of yours sounds _crazy_ strict."

"Oh, he's alright. 'Just got some rules." The man faked his own smile. "And if you don't follow to the rules, he can get a... little _upset_, is all."

She decided immediately that she didn't like this _boss_ of theirs one bit, and that if she ever met him, she'd give him a piece of her mind on how he treated his employees. He sounded a worse manager than her Grunkle! "Well, all that aside, I'm kinda new here. Do you think you could direct me to the floor where the President's daughter is staying?" She seemed to be important enough to stand out.

"Two-thousand five-hundred fifty five," the man stated instantly, "but, uh, I don't think she's taking visitors... Ma'am? _Ma'am_!" Before he could react, Mabel had sprinted off to the lifts.

She glared at the ten-digit keypad, before punching in 'two', 'five', 'five', 'five', and listened to the counter tick up, faster and faster as the compartment rose. "Room fifteen, room fifteen, room fifteen..." Mabel murmured to herself, determined to remember.

After yet another unpleasant wait and a painful popping of ears, the machine beeped out a louder, more satisfied 'ding', and she knew she'd reached her floor. Along a black-carpeted hall with beige walls, brown, wooden doors were placed officially and specifically every collection of paces. Painted on them were digits, beginning at one and counting up from there. She trudged her way to the fifteenth, letting her newly found fatigue soak in. She had lost a solid two or three hours on her trip, and sleep hadn't exactly been on a schedule.

Mabel halfheartedly rapped her knuckles on the wood. A moment later, it opened, revealing a girl with straight, black hair, a few inches shorter than her, and a brawny, larger one. "Hi, I'm Mabel. I'm your new roommate! I think. Did I get the room number right?"

"FINALLY! YOU'RE HERE!" The chunky one roared.

"We've been waiting all day!" The smaller one exclaimed in an accent she didn't recognize. "I'm Candy, and this is Grenda." The pair moved from the doorway to allow in the exhausted traveler.

"I'LL TAKE YOUR BAGS, IF YOU WANT," Grenda offered.

"Thanks," Mabel let go of her things, longingly ogling the nearest couch.

"Please, sit down! You must have had a long trip. Where are you from?" Candy motioned for the tired girl to sit.

She collapsed in the seat, feeling at home already from the warmth and cushioning. "Gravity Falls. It's in the Oregon Territories."

"WOW!" Grenda crashed down heavily on the spot next to her. "I'VE NEVER MET SOMEONE LOW-MIDDLE CLASS BEFORE! I'M FROM THE CALIFORNIA'S, SO MY FAMILY'S HIGH-MIDDLE."

"Oh, I used to live in the California's!" Mabel brightened. "Piedmont, to be exact. But my parents passed away when I was twelve, so my brother and I had to move up north to our Great-Uncle's."

Candy took a seat in the armchair across the room. "That is so sad! I'm from Korea, which is on the other side of the world. And, um, you said you had a brother?" Her attempts to lighten the conversation were obvious, but Mabel was happy to follow them.

"Yeah, just one. We're twins, so we're super close."

"I HAVE A BROTHER, TOO! TWO, TO BE EXACT. HEY, WANNA SEE HOW MANY TIMES WE CAN FIT 'TO'S INTO OUR SENTENCES? I'M ABOUT TO HAVE SIX, BECAUSE I WISH I HAD TWO!"

The girls laughed and chit-chatted all evening, making fast friends. Although, especially as she snuggled in to sleep, Mabel missed her brother greatly, she was thrilled at the success of her tour thusfar. If she kept this up, she'd be forming the luckiest time of her life.

* * *

_**{A/N: A kind guest reviewer mentioned their thinking that Candy is Korean. I looked into it, and she was indeed speaking Korean, not Chinese, to Gabe in Sock Opera. The reason I was confused was because Chiu is a Chinese last name. I went ahead and changed it, and hopefully won't make the same mistake in later plots.}**_


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